Our Owner and Executive Chef

Michel may not have initially intended to be an excellent chef as his mother or a shrewd business man as his father, but with parents that were determined to be successful and prosper, there was little choice for him.  At the age of five, Michel dreamed of becoming a chef.  Michel began his restaurant training at the age of 8, helping his father in the dinning room in the afternoons.  By age eleven, he was training to be a buss boy.  Like father, like son.  With front of the house training under his belt before even graduating high school, Michel decided to pursue his dream of becoming a chef.

Michel attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.  He is a 1984 graduate.  He began his training as an apprentice at Prunelle Restaurant in New York City.  It was shortly after he completed his apprenticeship that he received the news that his parents beloved restaurant burnt to the ground.  With no immediate plans, Michel returned home to help move the restaurant to Baltimore; he served as Chef de Cuisine at Chef Fernand for the duration of its time in Baltimore.

Michel was prepared to spread his wings and try new things.  He was ready to leave his childhood and family behind to learn new techniques and establish a name for himself.  In 1992, Michel served as Chef Tournant at Château Beaulieu under Jean Pierre Lozay in Loire Valley, France.  After six months of service, he returned home to help care for Tersiguel’s while Odette battled breast cancer.  After a clean bill of health was given, he moved to California.  He worked under Michael Chiarello at Tra Vigne Italian Restaurant in Napa Valley and then served as Chef de Cuisine at Left Bank Restaurant in Larkspur.  After having the opportunity to train under some of the world’s most talented chef’s Michel decided to come home.   With “new” life in the kitchen, Michel was energized to return to Tersiguel’s.

In 1997, he took over as Executive Chef of Tersiguel’s and in 2005 he purchased the restaurant from Fernand and Odette.  Michel prides himself on his kitchen; he uses traditional recipes and techniques passed down from mother and father to son, chef to chef.  Michel has taken on the tradition of passing down techniques and he welcomes young apprentices, most of which are just starting their cooking careers into his kitchen; his hope is that they too will fulfill their dreams in the kitchen some day.